Grandparents generation?

My memories are filled with old fashioned notions....much contributed by my grandparents.

My summers were spent canning and freezing our garden crops. With some time lost to my fussing and fretting about when I was going to get to go and play.

But outside of that I am now so greatful for the knowledge passed down to me...and wishing I had a great big garden full of vegetables to use that knowledge on... LOL..

I know all the convinences today are nice...but I must say that in about the past 10 years its seldom I have had a watermelon that taste as good as one from grandpa's garden. And certainly no tomatos worth $1.oo+ a pound...

How about yall,what did you learn about gardening from your grandparents generation?

Do you have any special ways you do things because it was taught to you by the old folks....
Do they infulence the way you garden? What are some of the secrets they shared with you? ...What do you remember?

My granny had 9 kids so she wouldn't have to garden anymore! My Dad, who is 85, is the true gardener. I learned about canning and freezing from him. My kids have too. I do not think that we will ever be able to peel fruit to his satisfaction though. Not enough practice.

I learned how to can figs, tho not directly from my grandmother. From my sister, who learned from Grandmother.
I was not a very patient child, and she was not a very patient lady, so it worked out better this way. =)

I still remember when she would can them, tho. No one had to tell me DON'T remove the stems, DON'T add any water. Any that get crushed or lose their stems, set aside to make jam. I knew that just from being in the house at the time.

Cheri'

I remember my grandmother (who is still living at age 86) growing Sweet Peas in her garden. She had them trained up this rickety old trellis that my grandfather made.

I used to love helping my grandfather (deceased since 1994) dig potatoes. It seems weird to me now, but it was so much fun when I was a kid to find those perfect round spuds in the dirt- the bigger they were, the better!

I am the old folks. LOL

LOL.......Well georgia now that you mentioned it, so am I....I'm sure you have ways of doing things taught to you by long gone genetations...share them with us.....won't matter what, if it's gardening, canning,or even wintering over tools till spring....Such as....My grandparents would not plant anything without consulting the almanic..Lite of the Moon, was for top crops and dark of the moon was for root crops....I don't adhear to this strictly but I think it does make a diffrence in crop production.....what do you think....did your folks do that?

So funny my grandmother once misread the almanac and planted her potatoes on the light of the moon, when realizing her mistake the next day, she had me, my uncle and herself out there digging them back up....that's how strongly she and most old folks belive that theory....
:o)

Picking blackberries along the river bank and filling the dishpans with them to bring them home for jelly. Peeling the 'dropped peaches' available for gleaning in the neighboring orchard and making peach jam. Picking dandelions for wine and their leaves for salad. Picking tomatoes at 5 cents a peck and throwing the rotten ones into the air to smash near (on) another picker further along the row. Cranking the '30 chevy to start it and running to get in before it takes off without you. "These are a few of my favorite things." I'm of that generation too. :-) Padre